Saturday, January 03, 2009

January 4-5 Lucky Dragons

Lucky Dragons are a beautifully named collaboration of art and music, named for a Japanese fishing vessel, Lucky Dragon No 5. Lucky Dragon No 5, Daigo Fukuryu Maru 第五福龍丸 was contaminated by radioactive fallout from the test of the first practical hydrogen bomb, Castle Bravo, on Bikini Atoll in 1954. The fishermen were in the official safe zone, but unexpected explosive power of Castle Bravo resulted in burns and radiation sickness for the crew and contamination of their fish. When Lucky Dragon No 5 returned to Japan, it ignited the Japanese anti-nuclear movement. The film Godzilla, in which a dinosaur contaminated by radiation takes revenge upon civilization was inspired by the incident. The fishing boat is preserved today in a museum in Dream Island Park, Tokyo.

Lucky Dragons performances are interactive, that means you. They have developed a participatory musical instrument make a baby. Their Sumi Ink Club is a cooperative drawing project which spans independent instantiations such by a group of third graders, to instances sold in galleries, shown in museums or free for download, all of identical work, simultaneously. The Lucky Dragons Sumi Ink Club project shows at Stumptown beginning Thursday.

The Sumi Ink Club open drawing session is Sunday 2PM-5 at the Perfect Fit. They perform later Sunday at Hush with White Rainbow, Rob Walmart, & Dash. 14 NW 3rd upstairs. 8PM $5-10 They talk Monday in PSU's Shattuck Hall, Room 212, 1914 SW Park Avenue, at the corner of SW Broadway and Hall on the PSU campus. 7:30PM Free